Top-draft lantern.



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WILLIAME. FRESH, OF WOBURN, MASSACHUSETTS.

TOP-DRAFT LANTERN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

Application led October 28.1907- Seral N0- 399.508.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. Fnnsn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident 0f I/Voburn, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Im rovement in Top -Draft Lanterns, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to top draft lanterns and has for its object to provide a lantern of this class which will burn steadily and the flame of which will not be aiected in any way either by sudden gusts of wind or by a sudden jar.

I will rst describe one embodiment of my invention and then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims.

' In the drawings,Figure 1 is a vertical central view through a portion of a top draft lantern having my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a section on the line -r, Fig. 1'.

Thelantern shown in Fig. 1 comprises the usual body 3 having the oil font 4 and burner therein and also having the dome or top 6 which is provided with the air inlet apertures 7 and the outlet apertures or ducts 8. The kdome of the lantern has situated within it the draft cone 9 which is open at both ends, and the upper end of which terminates adjacent the discharge openings S. These parts are such as are commonly found in top draft lanterns and may be of any suitable or usual construction. In such top draft lanterns the body 3 is air tight at the bottom, and all the air for supporting combustion enters through the air inlet ports 7 into the supply chamber 12 and thence passes downwardly around the lower edge of the draft cone 9, as shown by the arrows a, and the products of combustion pass upwardly through said draft cone into the discharge chamber 11 and thence out through the discharge apertures 8, as shown by arrows l).

In these lanterns as commonly made, the discharge chamber 11 at the top of the dome is entirely separated from the supply chamber 12 by an imperforate partition or otherwise, so that the entire current of air which enters the inlet aperture and is discharged through the discharge apertures is compelled to pass down into the body of the lantern around the draft cone, and thence upwardly through said cone. Where this construction is employed whenever the lantern is subjected to sudden gusts of wind, the increased suction produccd in the discharge chamber 11 results in increasing materially the volume of the current of air drawn in through the inlet apertures 7, and since all the air which `is thus drawn into the inlet apertures is compelled to pass around into the body of the lantern, the current of air delivered to the chamber in the lantern in which the flame is situated varies inintensity. Where the current does thus vary in intensity, the flame will be caused to flicker because when the current is increased in strength due 4to the action of sudden gusts of wind, the flame will be sucked up out of the normal and proper shape shown in Fig. 1. This drawing up of the flame not only tends to make the lantern smoke, but decreases tlie intensity of the light given by the flame, and where the lantern is used for a signal lantern in railway use, for instance, such changing of the intensity of the light, even though it be slight, is a decided detriment. To avoid this difficulty and to provide a lantern which will burn with a steady flame even though it is subjected to gusts of wind or is suddenly jarred, I have formed equalizing ports in the partition 10 which is situated between and separates the supply chamber 12 from the discharge chamber 11. I have found by using such a perforated partition that whenever the lantern is subjected to sudden gusts of wind and an increased suction is produced in the chamber 11 which causes an increased amount of air to be drawn in through the inlet ports 7, a part of such air is drawn up through the perforated partition 10, and the remainder or normal and usual quantity of air passes down around the lower edge of the draft cone for supporting combustion. Said perforated partition, therefore, acts as a sort of governor which regulates automatically the amount of air which is drawn through the cone 9, and which prevents the air from being drawn into the combustion chamber in such quantities as to cause the flame to be drawn up or to smoke. The presence of the perforations in this partition, however, does not interfere in any way with the ordinary use of thc lantern, but acts to prevent the flame from flickering when the lanternis subjected to a gusty wind.

The draft cone 9 is removably sustained in the dome by means of a pin 13 which exdome.

tends through the side walls of the dome and through opposed apertures in the cone, said pin being screw-threaded to a nut 14 which may be fastened to the side of the By simply unscrewing the pin and withdrawing it the draft cone can be removed for cleaning or repair.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new7 and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent is 1. In a top draft lantern, the combination with an airetightbody having a dome provided with a discharge chamber h-aving discharge ports and a supply chamber having inlet ports, of a draft cone situated within the dome 'and extending into-the discharge chamber, 'and a partition separating the discharge chamber from the supply chamber, said partition having therein equalizing orts which form a direct communication etween said chambers.

2. In a top draft lantern, the combination with an air-tight lantern body having a dome provided with a discharge chamber having discharge ports and a supply chamber provided with inlet ports, of a draft cone situated Within the dome, a perforated partition surrounding the cone and situated between the inlet ports and the outlet ports, and a sustaining pin extending diametrically through the dome and through the cone.

In testimony whereof, .I have signe-d my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. l v

VWILLIAM E. FRESH.

Witnesses:

Louis C. SMITH, BERTHA F. HEUSER.

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